Facebook launches employee ferry service from SF

Facebook’s newest commuting boat, a 30-person catamaran named the New El Dorado III, is chartered from Tideline Marine Group and carries employees from San Francisco to Redwood City. Note that this photo does not show Facebook employees on their commute. (Courtesy Rob Gallia)

Facebook is the latest tech giant to shuttle its employees to work by skimming them across the bay in a 30-person catamaran with Wi-Fi, coffee and snacks.

The social network company launched free water taxi service for its employees on Feb. 4 from San Francisco to its Menlo Park headquarters, a spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Employees board the 53-foot charter boat at Pier 40 near AT&T Park and disembark at a guest dock in Redwood City, where they catch a shuttle bus for a 10-minute ride to the main campus, said Redwood City Port Director Mike Giari. The water taxi service runs on Tuesdays and Fridays, and is set to be a 90-day trial, the spokesman said.

The boat, a 30-person catamaran named the New El Dorado III, only makes one trip down the peninsula in the morning and back in the evening for now, the spokesman said. The program is in a trial run and the company would not disclose the costs associated with the boat. Docking fees in San Francisco and Redwood City are $95 per day, and Redwood City charges $1.75 per passenger.

The commuter service is run by Tideline Marine Group, an on-demand water taxi service based in Sausalito, according to Tideline president Gardner Robinson.

Facebook and several other peninsula-based tech companies already run extensive bus shuttle services from San Francisco to work. The buses have come under fire and a handful of protests for blocking public bus stops.